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Eating for a limited time may benefit Alzheimer's disease
In a recent study published in the Experimental Gerontology journal, researchers in the United States examined the effects of time-restricted eating (TRE) on Alzheimer's disease (AD), cognitive decline and sleep. According to the United Nations, by 2050 one in six people worldwide will be 65 years old or older, and one in four people in Western countries will be 65 years old or older. Age-related diseases such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD correlate with the enormous growth of the elderly population. Since there is currently no cure for AD, lifestyle interventions such as calorie restriction (CR) and TRE are considered viable...
Eating for a limited time may benefit Alzheimer's disease
In a recently published study in the Experimental Gerontology Journal, researchers in the United States examined the effects of time-restricted eating (TRE) on Alzheimer's disease (AD), cognitive decline and sleep.
According to the United Nations, by 2050 one in six people worldwide will be 65 years old or older, and one in four people in Western countries will be 65 years old or older. Age-related diseases such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD correlate with the enormous growth of the elderly population. Since there is currently no cure for AD, lifestyle interventions such as calorie restriction (CR) and TRE are offered as viable strategies to prevent the onset and progression of the disease. Furthermore, sleep disorders are common in AD and MCI patients. Furthermore, emerging evidence suggests that pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1ꞵ are increased in AD and MCI patients compared to healthy participants.
The mechanisms supporting the neuroprotective potential of TRE
In the present study, researchers examined the putative underlying process of TRE's potential neuroprotective benefits and existing related research on the effects of TRE on MCI and AD biomarkers.
Findings suggesting that TRE influences autophagy and circadian rhythms by synchronizing food intake with circadian rhythms reveal a possible mechanism by which TRE may promote cognitive improvement. The circadian clock regulates metabolic and physiological processes such as insulin sensitivity, glucose, cholesterol levels, energy expenditure, sleep, inflammation and cognitive function. Sleep difficulties and AD are often associated with circadian rhythm disorders.
TRE also promotes the metabolic switch seen 12 to 36 hours after fasting begins, releasing free fatty acids into the circulation. Pilot research in humans and animals suggests that metabolic transition can improve brain health by increasing levels of ketone, fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), autophagy, sirtuin-1 and 3, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage, thereby improving cerebrovascular (CV) and cognitive function.
A growing body of evidence from meta-analyses and systematic reviews indicates an association between obesity and overweight with cognitive decline and a higher risk of vascular dementia and AD. Additionally, weight loss has been found to improve cognitive performance in overweight and obese adults. Therefore, weight loss caused by TRE may be an additional mechanism contributing to cognitive improvement.
The influence of TRE on cognitive decline and sleep
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Sleep disturbances are common in both MCI and AD. Additionally, AD is linked to sleep apnea and insomnia. Sleep problems are a significant risk factor for AD and are associated with inflammation. Six experiments used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess sleep quality and interruptions. In the most recent study, 82 healthy people who were not obese took part in a five-week randomized controlled trial (RCT) that showed no significant difference in sleep quality between early TRE, midday TRE and the control cohort. However, improvement in sleep quality was better in the early TRE cohort.
In a three-year cohort study, researchers examined the effects of a unique version of TRE, in which participants fasted between sunset and sunset on just two days a week, on the cognitive abilities of older adults over 60 years of age with MCI. The cognitive scores of older individuals with MCI who regularly practiced intermittent fasting (IF) (two days of TRE/week) for 12 months showed remarkable improvement compared to those who did not. Furthermore, a 36-month follow-up showed marked improvement in antioxidant superoxide dismutase levels, inflammatory indicators and DNA damage in regularly faster cohorts compared to baseline.
The influence of TRE on oxidative stress and neuroinflammation
Two different studies showed significant changes in IL-6 levels after TRE procedures. After 12 months, the TRE group showed significant gains in IL-6 and IL-1′ levels compared to the normal diet control group, which included 20 healthy volunteers. Similarly, 28 obese men participated in a month-long RCT of Ramadan TRE. The study found a significant decrease in IL-6 levels in the TRE during Ramadan group compared to the control group. In the early TRE group, which fasted from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., IL-8 decreased significantly after a five-week intervention compared to the control group.
Oxidative stress is thought to play a role in neurodegenerative diseases. In numerous groups, oxidative damage is strongly correlated with neurodegenerative impairments. An oxidative stress marker called 8-isoprostane may serve as a proxy biomarker for mitochondrial health in AD. To date, only two studies have examined 8-isoprostane plasma levels in relation to TRE; in both cases, 8-isoprostane levels decreased dramatically. An early TRE (e-TRE) intervention observed in 12 men with prediabetes for five weeks resulted in a significant decrease in 8-isoprostane compared to the control group.
Conclusion
The study results highlighted the potential of TRE in reducing indicators of aging and neurological diseases. However, the mechanisms behind these benefits remain poorly understood. In addition, future studies must determine the ideal time to start fasting. Additionally, further research needs to be conducted on the potential benefits of TRE against neurodegenerative diseases such as MCI and AD.
Reference:
- Armin Ezzati, Victoria M. Pak, Die Auswirkungen von zeitlich begrenztem Essen auf Schlaf, kognitiven Verfall und Alzheimer-Krankheit, Experimentelle Gerontologie, 2022, 112033, ISSN 0531-5565, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2022.112033, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0531556522003424
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